Tank redo plans - New LR

[Anonymous]

I am going to redo my tank for the last time. I have come to the conclusion that this rock is no good. The tank has been running for a year since the last rebuild of recuring my rock and there are no signs of it turning around. Corals fading/dieing and no coraline on the rock.

Here is my plan.

Ordering new cured LR overnight. maybe from Reefermadness unless there is better out there (recomendations?)

30G Rubbermaid with just a heater and maybe a power head
- Put new SW in there and all the new LR in there for a few days or weeks to make sure there is no cycle.

- A few days/weeks later take everything out of the display and clean the tank.
- Put the corals/fish in a bucket with a heater
- Put all the new rock in the tank - aquascape refill with water.
- Put all the corals/fish back in

Will this work?

Should I use the water from the curing tub? Or all new when adding back to the display?

Any other ideas?

Will cured LR ordered overnight stink? Will it cause a huge cycle?

 

[bleedingthought]

If you can do this, forget my other suggestion from TRT to drive out to a LFS.

Definitely use a powerhead (if not a couple) in the tub with the new rock.

Also put a powerhead and maybe a air stone in with the fish and corals in the holding tub along with the heater.

Rock wrapped with wet newspaper overnight'ed shouldn't cause too much of a cycle (die off) for it to completely stink up your condo. I don't know how reefermadness ships it but heat packs are definitely in store for you, I'm sure. Like you have planned, keep it in the separate tub to anticipape any potential die off. You don't want to kill all your fish and corals, after all!

 

[Anonymous]

The only thing i am afraid of is the smell of curing rock period. If it does smell its going to be a waste of money when I have to throw it all out.

 

[bleedingthought]

Well, if it's fully cured before they ship, and they ship it well, then it shouldn't be that much of a problem/smell. You won't be curing it, but more so separating it for the sake of the small die-off. I think you're overworrying about the smell anyways, get some glade plug-ins!

 

[Anonymous]

Well reports say it will stink and take allot of weeks

 

[bleedingthought]

Either do it or listen to the 'reports'. :?

 

[trido]

Well. If you insist on getting new LR. I would get the 45# from your supplier. I wouldnt pay for overnight because I really doubt it will speed any cure time all that much. Spend the money you save on one or two cool pieces from your LFS. Cure it in a rubbermaid with heater and powerhead for as long as it takes to get things to 0. Then when its ready, I would siphon all of the tank water into buckets and more rubbermaids. Put the corals and fish into the rubermaids with heaters and air pumps of some sort. Remove old rock, aquascape with new rock. Put all water fish and corals back in and all should be golden.

I am a beleiver that you can put cured LR and few inhabitants into a tank with little to no noticable cycle. Most do not advocate this. When I moved from Cali. I put all my inhabitants into the 120 within three days. I used all the LR from my 30 and 120lbs of cured (on the portch in rubbermaids)into it and 40% established water from the old tank and cure bins. I had 0 detectable readings so after three days I said to heck with it Im not going to wait around and hope for a cycle. I never once had any detecable readings. When I set up my 30 softy tank three months ago. I used cured LR from the LFS and some from the 120 fuge. I used 100% tank water from the 120. That tank had no detecable readings or cycle either. After 2 days I stocked it lightly. I did however go through the cyano phase and small diatom blooms on both tanks.
I never once was able to get any detectable readings of any ammonia, nitrites or nitrates. Believe me, I was very paraniod about it and tested ALOT. I dont like dead fish or inverts. I use salifert kits.

 

[tripsied]

Trido, I agree, you can put cured LR in the tank, though I've found that the ratio should be roughly 1/4 to 1/2 tank volume. I.e. 100 gallon tank = 25 to 50 pounds of LR and things should be okay, more than that and the likelihood of a cycle gets bigger (is that the right way to put it???)

Also, isn't there someting (it was one of those "Bio-blah blah blah") that is supposed to help the tank cycle faster? It's basically a bottle full of nitrifying bacteria. If your rock isn't doing so hot, shouldn't a dose of that kick it into gear??? I apologize for not being able to remember the name of it off-hand, I tried to google it but came up empty-handed. I'll check at my LFS tomorrow, will post findings then.

Hope that at least gave ya somehting to think about.

Tom